January 29, 2000
Gestational Diabetes
Question from Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA:
I am 25 years old and at 31 weeks in my pregnancy. I have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I have been asked to record my blood sugar 4 times a day (fasting, 2 hours after breakfast, lunch and dinner) until I go back to my doctor next week. He says he will assess then if I need to go to a specialist and if I need to be on insulin therapy. My numbers are as follows for the past 3 days: Day 1 – 99, 114, 143, 121. Day 2 – 102, 82, 111, 120. Day 3 – 95, 83, 148, 99. Do I look like a candidate for insulin and what is the reason that it is higher usually in the morning and after lunch rather than other times of the day? I have begun to change my diet.
Answer:
Your blood sugar values at 2 hours after meals are the most concerning, although your fasting blood sugars are also borderline high. The normal fasting should be between 60 and 90 mg/dl and 2 hours after a meal should be less than 120 mg/dl. Therefore, it might be a good idea for you to start insulin. I do not have a good explanation for why you are higher at different times of the day. This may reflect your activity level and types of food you are eating.
OWJ
